Aren't there better things for our lawmakers to be doing?

On my daily lunch perusal of the Star Tribune, I came across this article which sort of makes me want to run through the corridors of our state capital head-butting certain state lawmakers.

Basically, some farm-boy dipshit from Marshall has passedthis law targeting MPR -- saying that they cannot have a particular funding grant unless they disclose the salaries of certain employees. MPR is standing their ground, saying that they already disclose salaries as IRS regulations dictate -- and shouldn't that be enough?

So, as a taxpayer and lifelong resident of this state, I have to say: what the f_ck?

1) Whether or not you like it, Mr. Republican-pants, the state gives away a LOT of money to FOR-PROFIT organizations who ridiculously overcompensate their top-level employees. Believe you me... I work in the for-profit sector in this state. People everywhere make PLENTY of money.

2) MPR doesn't rely on soullessmoney-grubbing advertisers to stay afloat; they are instead funded in large part by their membership base (myself, my husband, and several close friends included...). By the way -- those members? Citizens of the state. Don't you think we'd pipe up if we thought our money (dontations!) was going to inappropriate uses?

3) I seem to remember the state being sortof a crappy watchdog for non-profit misappropriation of taxpayer funds in the first place -- didn't some massive insurance companies just get in trouble not so long ago? Wasn't it our state's Attorney General who nailed that little conspiracy? I'm not too trusting here.

4) Has anyone compared what the for-profit radio station execs make compared to the non-profit? Just a guess, but I'd stake money and reputation that there's a wide chasm between what the head of MPR makes and what the head of Cities 97 puts in the bank.

5) Hey, has anyone asked the EMPLOYEES how they feel about having the world know their take-home pay? I'm sorry... If I wanted someone to know how much I made (profit, nonprofit, whatever...) I'd let them know. I'm pretty much an open book... but come on, there are some things that need to remain private.

Honestly: when it all boils down to it, we're bickering about less thant $400,000. Now, that IS a lot of dough, certainly more than I see in any given decade... that being said: MPR's salaries paid and $400,000... is this really the most pressing issue this numnuts from outstate has to deal with? I wonder, does the burgeoning meth problem in this state keep him up at night? How about the farmers who are starving and going bankrupt in his consituency (remember, I spent some serious hard time outstate in a previous life...)? What about the report that came out yesterday that said low-income families in our state are spending 28% of their income on childcare, on average, often sacrificing the safety of their children to cut childcare corners (due in large part to Pawlenty's 2003 childcare budget cuts)? What about the shrinking education budgets? Roads in dire need of repair? If you want to be revolutionary, then let's focus on mass transit, if you really need to get involved in what us city folk care about.

How about this, idiot: Drop your personal vendetta, go back to Marshall, ask your consituents what they are really concerned about, come back to the Capitol with a REAL agenda... and in the meantime, let MPR be. I would guess that MPR is really low on the "what we'd like to see happen at the Capitol in 2006" list of southern Minnesotan residents.

*Dismounts Soapbox*